capture
by ZebraBow
Summary: AU/AH Because he is sixteen and she is only twelve and he is hopelessly beyond in love with her. And all he can do is stand there and try not to gawk at the girl with the sunshine smile and golden hair. Her name is Caroline and she dazzles him. His name is Klaus and he is beyond confused. A through the years story. Klaus centric. Companion piece to free fall


By ZebraBow

Authors Note: So here it is another Klaroline story. Initially, when I wrote free fall I knew that I wanted to write a companion piece from Klaus's point of view. Hope you read the companion piece as it is in Caroline's point of view and tells a differing story line with the same major events happening. This is un-betaed, so please excuse all of the mistakes. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**capture**

_Can we pretend that airplanes_

_In the night sky_

_Are like shooting stars_

_I could really use a_

_Wish right now_

Because he is only sixteen, all he can do is stand and grumble when his mother informs him that they will be moving to small-town USA: a town named Mystic Falls in smack dab in-the-middle-of-no-where Virginia. He isn't excited or the least bit interested about the move or wondering how the Americans will be. All he can think about is the countdown till his freedom. In three years, he will be off to college and away from the wrath of his pseudo-father. With the help of the money from his late maternal grandmother conveniently left for him in the form of a trust fund, he can finally get a taste of freedom. He is patient and doesn't complain _that _much.

He can tell that Elijah is disappointed to move away from historic London. He knows that his brother wants to major in History and was planning on going to Oxford. But due to recent events, it seems that Elijah may never get his dream of studying European History at Oxford. Elijah always thinks about the greater good of the family. So it comes as no surprise, when he volunteers to help their mother with all of the moving arrangements.

Finn, on the other hand, has abandoned his role as the eldest in the family. The eldest boy had marched defiantly into their father's office late yesterday afternoon and informed him that he had no plans on joining the family overseas. Finn said that he was finally _happy _with his life and that there was nothing his father or anyone else could do to convince him to leave. His mother's face turned aghast as her favorite child and husband entered into a verbal fight. She sat still as a statue on the couch in the formal living room as the maids packed their belongings for the move and pretended that nothing wrong was going on. All he can think was that if he had been the one to move away; he would never come back.

Kol is ecstatic. His younger brother has heard all types of nonsense about American girls. And the really sad part was that Kol seemed to believe all of the rumors. He feels a sense of sadistic pleasure knowing that pretty soon Kol will be turned down by girls in a different country for the same stupid mistakes.

Rebekah stays quiet. He can't understand why until she comes into his room late at night. She crawls into his bed and hugs him. He can feel that her face is wet with tears in the dark. She cries and he holds her. She tells him that this move is for the better. There are just too many memories of Henrik around the house and she is haunted by him in her sleep. Their mother wants to escape from this nightmare and the only way she knows is pretending that he never existed. And in a quiet voice, she admits that she wants to escape too. He kisses the top of her head and waits until she falls asleep. He is too guilt ridden and an all familiar face consumes his mind every time he closes his eyes.

It comes as no surprise when Rebekah comes home from the first day at her new school with a group of girls in tow behind her. He saw the group enter, but paid no attention to them. He himself had quite an interesting day at Mystic Falls High School and Elijah had somehow managed to rope him into sorting through all of the packed boxes. They've only moved into their new house a few days ago and most of the things were yet to be unpacked. Their father had left almost immediately to work in Georgia and only stayed at the house for a short while. He was glad that his pseudo-father's work place was so far away that he could only come home once a month. However, he was currently at home to help sort out all of the house details so all he could do was grin and bear his pseudo-father's temper. He knew that even though his siblings didn't voice their opinion that they feel the same way too.

He is looking through a box of kitchen appliances when Rebekah calls him and Elijah to the living room to properly meet her new friends. He know that Rebekah always attracts the best clique at school so he isn't surprised when he sees three girls who look like they stepped out of a juniors clothing catalog. His sister introduces them each by name, but his eyes are drawn to one particular girl. Her name is _Caroline _and all he can do is stand there and try not to gawk at the girl with the sunshine smile and golden hair. Her face still has the childhood chubbiness and awkward angles, but he knows that she will be beautiful one day. Hell, she _is_ beautiful. He stands there and chants in his mind that she is only twelve and he has no right to look at his little sister's friend like _that_.

Elijah must have noticed his internal struggle and gives a short chuckle. She looks at Elijah with a curious expression. Of course she would be interested in Elijah. No one wants the second rate boy and he just doesn't belong in this cookie cutter family.

Before he knows it, she is following Rebekah down the hallway with the rest of her friends. He is sad to see her go and lost thinking about her dazzling smile when Elijah pulls him back into the kitchen to finish unpacking.

* * *

He is seventeen and itching to get his freedom. He still has his countdown and the plans to move far far away very soon. He is just a junior in high school and swamped with college applications and writing the SATs, but he still finds time to date. He takes the occasional girl out to the movies or to dinner to keep an image of normalcy. But he never takes the same girl out. Every time he is with one of these girls, all he can think about is her sunshine smile.

She and Rebekah are best friends now and it seems like she is at their house all the time. He knows tidbits about her home life, but wonders why she doesn't ever want to spend time at her own house. He once asked Rebekah about it, but she said that it was no fun at Caroline's house.

Rebekah often has sleepovers and plans the frequent run in with her late at night in the kitchen. He is pleasantly surprised to learn over the course of a year that she is not just a beautiful face with no personality. Her spit-fire personality kept Kol in check and controlled the order that she seemed to thrive in.

Tonight is not one of those nights where he can hope to catch a glimpse of her. Rebekah and his mother has flown out to New Orleans to visit an old friend which was secretly a code for seeing a psychic who claimed that she could contact the spirit of her youngest son. They didn't speak about it and everyone pretended that their mother was really visiting an old friend. His mother's interest in the occult after Henrik's death was border-lying obsession and he was afraid that Rebekah was being drawn into to it as well. He knows that even though his mother shows no emotions and acts like she doesn't give a care, she would give anything to get her dead son back.

So, he sits in his room tonight reading a novel. He is spread out on his bed enjoying this rare moment of peace and quiet. His pseudo-father is at work hundreds of miles away and he no idea what his two brothers are up to. Elijah was probably doing the same as him and reading a history book. Kol might be perusing a book too, but the reading material may be of a questionable manner.

The doorbell rings and he wonders who it could be so late at night. Mystic Falls is a small town where the crime rate is practically nonexistent. Maybe one of his brothers ordered late night pizza. The doorbell rings again and he groans as he swings his legs off the bed. He walks downstairs mumbling about his no good brothers to open the door.

He gets the surprise of the lifetime when he opens the door and sees that it's _her_ and she is standing out in the cold and crying. Her nose is red and puffy. Her eyes look so bloodshot and it takes him a second to register what is going on.

"Where is Rebekah?" she asks. He wants to tell her that his sister is inside and ready to comfort her; he wants to know why she is out at night all by herself in her pajamas; he wants to know why she's so sad.

He walks forward and brushes a tear of her cheek. He wants to caress her soft skin, but refrains from doing so. "Caroline, what's wrong?" he asks her gently, desperate to know what has got her so upset.

She stands there in that same position: sobbing and dry heaving in-between while clutching hem of her pajama shirt with her fingers. He doesn't know what to do so he does the only thing he can come up with. He pulls her into a hug – his hand rubbing soothing circles on her back, "Shh, its okay sweetheart. Please tell me what's wrong. I promise that I will fix it." It's a promise he intends to keep. He will stop at nothing to stop her from looking so heart broken.

She sobs even _harder _into his chest and he can feel her wet tears on his t-shirt. They are still in a hug and he doesn't ever want to let her go. He feels that he can protect her from everything that's bad by keeping her in his arms. He lets her go and examines her face. She is still crying and squirms a little under his scrutiny. Even though her eyes are blood shot and her hair is a mess, she still looks radiant to him.

He grabs her hand and leads her gently through the house. He is so afraid that if he lets go of her completely that she might break into a thousand little pieces like a china doll. "Bekah isn't here tonight. My mother has taken her to New Orleans for the weekend. They are visiting an old family friend."

He feels horrible telling her that her best friend isn't here to comfort her. He even feels a little angry at Rebekah for not being here even though it was impossible to predict what was going to happen tonight.

He is still tugging her along the hallway when he notices that she stopped walking, "You can tell me all of your problems. I promise that it will be okay."

She mutters a soft. "Yes," and continues following him. They pass a confused Elijah in the hallway as he leads her into his bedroom. This is the first time that she has ever been in his room and he really wished that he had tidied up earlier today. A pair of jeans is thrown on the floor and there is a disarray of books on his dresser. She doesn't notice any of this and sits down on his bed.

He sits down next to her and tries not to think of all of the different scenarios he had imagined before with her in his room. She is still crying and he isn't exactly the expert on comforting people. So he reaches over and hugs her again and mutters words of reassurance into her hair.

She begins talking. It's in stutters an in-between sobs, but he sits there and patiently listens. She tells him about her father and mother. She tells him how her father is leaving her for another man. She tells him about her fears of being a bad daughter, that maybe she was the reason why her parent's marriage didn't work out. She splutters more nonsensical things that implicate her for her parents failed relationship.

He wants to tell her that she is wrong. That she is perfect and that she had no part in her parent's bad decisions. He keeps silent and waits for her to finish saying whatever is on her mind. "I just feel like no one cares about me anymore," she splutters out before a new batch of hot tears roll down her cheeks.

They sit in silence as he pets her hair softly and rubs small circles on her back. "I care," he whispers into her ear.

She relaxes a bit into his chest and he is relieved that she isn't so sad anymore. He wants to tell her more, but he feels tongue-tied. For now, he is content with hugging her.

He hopes that she learned that just because her parent's relationship didn't work out, doesn't mean that love doesn't exist. He hopes that she knows that there are other people like him and Rebekah or the other girls like Elena and Bonnie who really care about her.

* * *

He is eighteen and finally a senior. He has one more year and is on the cusp of freedom. His pseudo-father knows that he has almost reached his escape so the insults have become harsher. They make him feel like trash, but it doesn't destroy his mood completely because he's almost _out_. The only thing that dampens his mood is when he thinks of the sunshine girl and her boyfriend.

She started dating someone a year ago and the only comfort he got was that the guy was in New York - too far away to really do anything. With that consoling thought in mind, he still dated the occasional girl. He needed to be preoccupied. He wanted to survive this year. He didn't want to think about his family or all of his demons. His grades were excellent and he knew that he would get into any college he wanted to.

A wave of relief washes over him when Rebekah informs them at dinner that Caroline and her boyfriend broke up. He doesn't show it, but he suspects that his sister might know something about his little crush. She is scarily intuitive.

Rebekah states that she is going to have a sleepover to cheer up Caroline. Their mother offers to pick up some chick flicks and ice cream. And he feels like socking Kol when he asks saucily if he can join the party.

He is glad that his sister is such a good friend. He hopes to see her and gets his wish when she runs into him the morning after the sleepover. He sends her a dazzling smile and she gives him a sunshine smile in return.

* * *

He is nineteen and finally _free_. He wouldn't ever come back to the small town in-the-middle-of-no-where if it wasn't for the girl with the sunshine smile. However, it is only summer and he is packing for college.

With the help of his siblings and the money from his trust fund, he has brought all of the necessities that he will need. His pseudo-father had already declared to expect no form of help from him. His mother had just stood silently with her head hung in shame.

But he no longer cares, because he only has a few more days left. He plans on going to _her _house just to see her smile one last time before he leaves for college in _California_. He's been putting it off because he doesn't want to see her sad. They've become quite close over the last year. She comes to the house to visit _him _and she's had a proper tour of his room. He lets her see his paintings and coaxes her into posing for him. He is always so absorbed in drawing her and hoping that he caught the essence of her light in the picture.

She always smiles and tells him thank you. He gives her most of the drawings, but he's kept a few tucked into an old journal in his room. He is surprised when he walks into the kitchen and sees her talking with Kol about something.

He eavesdrops and learns that the four girls have made the cheerleading squad at school. Only Rebekah and Caroline look excited about it. The other two wear expressions that they could care less about cheerleading. He decides to step in when he hears Kol winding them up about all of the work they would have to do. It was true that the cheerleaders did a lot for the school in terms of rallies and games, but he could see her truly enjoying it.

He stands up and states, "I think they can do it. They are really responsible and I believe in them." He gives the girls a smile, but it's directed mainly towards Caroline. Her face brightens up and she gives him a smile in return. He tucks the image of her sunshine smile into his memory because honestly, he doesn't know the next time he will see it.

* * *

He is twenty when he gets the call – the one that he didn't expect. Elijah's voice sounded stressed and out of place when he called to inform him that their father had passed away. Elijah had booked the first flight out of England to come home and he expected Klaus to do the same.

He doesn't want to go, but he knows that he has to. Even Finn was flying in for the funeral and it had been years since he last saw his oldest brother. Now that their father had passed away, maybe he would get to see Finn more. He knew that his pseudo-father and his eldest brother usually didn't see eye to eye on a lot of things.

He hasn't seen anyone in his family except Rebekah for a little over a year. His little sister was the only one who made a real effort to stay connected with him. She would visit him every few months and they would relish in their time of freedom together. He would ask her how sunshine girl was doing and she would always answer truthfully. He wishes that _she _would come visit him, but knows that it is too much to ask of her.

Elijah calls him occasionally and updates him about news of their family. He had gotten his dream of studying at Oxford and couldn't be happier. He, on the other hand, would visit home often and regale him with stories of their two siblings and all that he was up to in England.

It didn't bother him that much that all he got from his parents was radio silence. Initially, he was a bit saddened by the fact that his own mother didn't feel the need to speak to him anymore. All of his friends at college received care packages and visits from parents. He didn't get any of it, but he was beyond happy with his freedom.

The person who called him the most beyond a reason of doubt would have to be _her_. She would call and they would have late night conversations about everything and nothing. They would talk almost every night. She would tell him about high school and he would tell her about college. He knew that she was beyond excited for college and she had hinted at looking at his college as a potential one for her. She told him about how the people she knew were changing – even his little sister. She was glad that he remained constant.

He doesn't know how he feels when he crosses the threshold into his family home. He is trapped in a hug by a blonde blur that he realizes is his little sister. There are dried up tear marks on her cheeks and she tells him that she knew he would come.

Their mother sits on the sofa and cries softly into a handkerchief. Even when she cries, she looks regal. Mourners and friends of the family stand awkwardly in the room. He searches for _her_, but can't find her. The funeral is tomorrow morning and Elijah has once again stepped into the role of leadership and taken care of all of the arrangements. Finn and his girlfriend will be flying in tomorrow and coming directly to the funeral from the airport.

He has an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach when he wakes up the next morning. He stumbles into the kitchen and almost runs into Kol. He can smell the alcohol reeking from Kol, but chooses not to comment on it. Rebekah walks in fully dressed in a black dress and announces that she has their suits hanged up in their rooms and they need to get dressed in ten minutes. They don't comment about her puffy eyes and tear stained makeup.

He gets dressed and puts on a mask of indifference. He is about to attend the funeral of a man that most people thought was his father. He doesn't know how to feel, but definitely knows that it shouldn't be a feeling of relief.

He sits in the first row with his family right in-between Elijah and Kol. Finn and his girlfriend Sage sit at one end while his sister and his mother sit at the other end. They look like the picture perfect family and people comment on the loss of such a great man. He wants to stand and yell the truth, but he doesn't.

He sits through the eulogies, the speeches, and the prayers. His mask is set in stone and he is careful to not show any emotion. Next to him, it seems like Elijah chose to wear the same mask today too. His mother and sister are sobbing softly into sobs the entire time. His heart is torn and he just can't wait for all of this to be over.

After the funeral, he sits on his bed in his old bedroom with his head cradled in his hands. A few minutes ago, he was standing in the kitchen like an awkward stranger. He didn't know what to say to all of those people who were telling him their condolences. He just wanted this entire day to be done with.

The flight to go back is a red-eye late at night that day itself. His bag is already packed because – truthfully – he never unpacked it to begin with. It felt like the whole house was closing in and suffocating him.

The door opens for a minute and person walks in to sit next to him on the bed. At first he thinks it's his sister, but realizes that it's _her_. They sit in silence until she pulls him into a hug. He hugs her back and the mask crumbles away. The tears roll down his cheeks before he can put the mask into place.

She is the one who is saying the comforting words now. It reminds him of the night a few years ago when she came to him in a similar state. He cries even harder when he hears her sweet words. He tells her all of his demons. She listens patiently to everything that was said. He feels so guilty for not being his fathers' son. He feels so guilty for killing Henrik because he wanted to take his younger brother on a joy ride when he didn't even his license. He hates himself for all the trouble that he has brought on his family. He tells her how he was hated because he was _born_.

He cries some more and realizes that she understands that they are tears of joy. He realizes that she understands him. He knows that his scare will heal over time and that she will always be there for him if he had any moments of self-doubt again. He has never felt more at peace than in her arms.

* * *

He is twenty-one when he feels jealousy and anger. The phone calls from her have become less and less and he finally learns the reason behind it from his little sister. She has a new boyfriend named Damon Salvatore. The name rings a bell and he suddenly realizes why.

Damon Salvatore was a player who was a senior when he first moved to Mystic Falls. He was the type of guy that should never be around _her_. And it didn't help a whole lot when he learned that his little sister was dating that quarterback. He had nothing against Matt, but he knew that it would make _her _feel insecure when everyone in her little group had a significant other.

So, she started dating the worst guy possible. Rebekah would give him occasional updates on how Caroline was doing. At first, she seemed happy in the new relationship. But Rebekah felt that everything was going too fast. She felt that Caroline just wanted to fall in love and be in love with someone. Rebekah had a pretty good judge of character – which was mainly the reason as to why he was so worried about her.

One day after his phone call to Caroline, he knew that something was wrong. She told him how they had broken up – something that brought him immense relief – and how she was so ashamed with herself.

She didn't tell him everything, but he was able to understand the gist of it. Honestly, he felt like flying out to Mystic Falls and killing Damon Salvatore. Instead, he sat in his room and comforted a girl who was a thousand miles away. He told her that it was okay to make mistakes and to grow from them. He told her that she didn't need a guy to be her own person. He told her that she was strong and beautiful. And day by day of his constant encouragement, she did become _stronger_.

* * *

He is twenty-two when he receives the phone call that is going to change his life. His little sister's voice is filled with mirth when she asks him to do him a favor. He doesn't understand until she explains it to him fully. _She _actually forgot to get a date for prom and Rebekah agreed to find her a blind date. Rebekah laughs and tells him that if he doesn't want to do it, she is going to ask Kol.

He says, "Yes," in a heartbeat.

The last time he's gone to Mystic Falls was for his father's funeral. This time it's different. This time he is going after the girl that he's been in love with for all of these years. He gets dressed in a black and white suit. He feels more excited than he was for his own prom.

He goes to her house and rings the doorbell. He fumbles with the box holding the corsage as he waits the door to be opened. _She _opens the door looking like a goddess. She looks so beautiful that he doesn't know what to say. He can feel himself blushing.

He walks in and hugs her when he sees her slack jawed expression. Guess, she wasn't expecting him tonight. A flash of light goes off behind them and more pictures are taken. Her father's the one who is taking the pictures while her mother and father's boyfriend stand to this side and converse. He hasn't seen her so happy in years and she is positively glowing.

He escorts her to his car and drives to a small little restaurant on the outskirts of town. He is feeling selfish and doesn't feel like sharing her with anyone – even her best friends. He tells her about how Rebekah called and asked him to be her date. She blushes and tells him that she is sorry for making him come all this way for her. He smiles and tells her that it's his pleasure to be her date.

He tells her about college and accidently slips up about the places he wants to take her when she moves there this fall. She gives him a bright sunshine smile and he is reassured that maybe she does want to spend time with him when they are both at college. Even though he is studying to be an architect and she is journalism major, he hopes that they spend a lot of time together.

They arrive at prom and she points out all of the things that she personally added. He is impressed with her attention to detail and tells her that she did a good job. They walk in and find her group of friends. He sees his little sister there and is pleased to see that her boyfriend is treating her like a proper gentleman. Rebekah sends him a pointed glare and he notices that his hands are intertwined with _hers_.

They spend the entire night dancing and he never wants to let her go. He holds her close and he feels like he is in heaven. He knows the night is about to end and he has finally built up enough courage. Before he knows it, the king and queen are announced. They both cheer loudly as Rebekah and Matt take their crowns. The final song is played and he leads her outside into the courtyard.

The night air is cool and they sit on a stone bench. The silence is peaceful, but a million thoughts rush through his mind. He is trying to decide what to say and how to say it. He wants this moment to be perfect. She deserves nothing less.

He turns and looks at her. Her eyes are so bright and her cheeks are rosy from the cold air. He brushes a loose strand of hair from her cheek softly with his thumb. His heart is beating like a hummingbird's when he leans in and kisses her softly on the lips. She tastes like vanilla and he kiss her again. She is still for a moment before kissing him back.

He pulls away and tells her, "I fancy you."

She initiates the next kiss and kisses with so much passion. His lips match her fervor and he pulls her head in even closer. His mind is racing away with so many thoughts. One clear thought is resonating clearly in his mind, _finally_.

_**fin**_

* * *

Authors Note: I wrote this in one go since I was on a roll.

Go read free fall. Review for more Klaroline stories!


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